


Favored of the Gods

by Morefiercethanfire



Category: Rome (TV 2005)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-18
Updated: 2015-10-18
Packaged: 2018-04-26 23:48:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5025442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Morefiercethanfire/pseuds/Morefiercethanfire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Titus has gotten quite a windfall with all those pretty gold coins. So why not spend a few?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Favored of the Gods

If ever a man was favored by the gods, Titus Pullo felt comfortable saying that today, that man was him. Newly wealthy through a stroke of incredible luck, he'd spent the last two days indulging both himself and his newfound treasure. They'd both been washed and dressed in completely new clothing before sitting down to an ample feast. And now he was going to get the chance to share his luck with his friend, Vorenus. “Ho there, hurry it up!” he shouted at one of the litter bearers, grunting softly to himself when they sped up accordingly. He was thinking of how best to explain his good fortune to Vorenus when he heard a voice call, “Apples! Apples for sale! Only twenty-five denarii and you can eat the fruit of Aphrodite Herself!”

“Great Jupiter!” Titus snorted. “For twenty-five denarii, the Goddess better have picked it herself in the nude at sunrise.” He could barely believe that anybody would actually pay that much for a piece of fruit, or that the vendor had the nerve to ask it. Who did he think his clients were, anyway?

He got his answer when he looked over at the vendor's cart. Three children stood a few feet away, none of them more than seven summers old. They wore ragged brown tunics that failed to adequately cover their dirty, scratched legs, and lumpy wool caps with locks of hair peeking out. Titus stared at them, fighting a sudden lump in his throat. He remembered what it was like to be one of those kids, looking at the cart and wondering if there was a way he could manage to steal one of those sweet, delicious, forbidden apples. He wondered what was in store for them, whether any of them would ever be anything more than slaves, although he knew it wasn't likely. There weren't many fearless or desperate enough to lie their way into the legions the way he had.

Before he could think better of it, he called, “Stop here!” Pulling three coins from his leather pouch, he tossed them to the vendor. “An apple apiece for my friends over there.”

The little man caught the money and stared in amazement at the golden aurei. He looked up at the richly dressed man, clearly flummoxed at the command. Titus could tell that the vendor wanted to ask him why he'd throw his coins away on sewer rates, but instead, he ducked his head and muttered, “Yes, Dominus.”

Once the apples had been passed out, the boys cheered and shouted their thanks. Titus chuckled and nodded at them, then gestured for the bearers to get going. As they carried them away, he reached out to stroke Eirene's hair, giving silent thanks again for the blessings of the gods that had sent her and the money his way. Eirene ducked her head, but he saw a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Deciding that he could wait a little longer to figure her out, he turned his attention back to the courtyard ahead of them. As the bearers lowered the litter to the ground, he helped Eirene out, then tossed a handful of coins into the air. “Boys, a clamor for my good friend Lucius!


End file.
